LAS VEGAS — When the Golden Knights traded Pavel Dorofeyev to the New York Rangers back on June 26, general manager Kelly McCrimmon knew he had to find a way to replace the 37 goals Dorofeyev scored for Vegas last season.
In signing Braeden Bowman to a six-year contract extension, McCrimmon is betting that Bowman can fill some of the void.
Bowman’s deal, which kicks in for the 2027-28 season and runs through 2033 has an average annual value of $3.4 million. He’s scheduled to make $875,000 this coming season in the second year of his recent two-year deal.
It seems like a lot of money for someone with limited NHL experience. But the Knights like what the 6-foot-1, 205-pound 23-year-old winger gives them — a big, physical net presence with a scorer’s touch. And if Bowman develops as McCrimmon hopes, that $3.4 million could look like a bargain down the road.
Bowman split time between the Golden Knights and the Henderson Silver Knights last season. His NHL numbers were eight goals and 18 assists in 54 games. In the AHL, he had better than a point a game with 12 goals and 14 assists in 20 games.
More important, Bowman has played under Ryan Craig, who is now the Golden Knights’ head coach. Craig knows Bowman from their time together in Henderson and he’ll figure out where best to play him. When Bruce Cassidy was the coach, Bowman played up and down the lineup. With John Tortorella, Bowman only got into one game, that being Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final against Carolina.
“He’s a great coach,” Bowman told KTNV when asked about Craig while at the team’s annual golf outing earlier this week at TPC Summerlin. “He’s a great person, too. He’s honest, fair — everything you want in a coach.”
Bowman told the television station that he has spent the summer anticipating a larger role in the NHL and he wants to be ready.
“I just focused on getting bigger, stronger,” Bowman said. “I want to make the jump and be a full-time guy, so get stronger, work on my speed and get my pace up.”
